The new board is made up of:
Sabine Hofmann - Austria - Filmcasino & Polyfilm Betriebs GmbH
Christian Thomas - Belgium - Imagine Film Distribution
Simon Wullens - Belgium - Lumière Publishing NV
Kim Foss - Denmark - Camera Film
Laure Caillol - France - Haut et Court Distribution
Johanna Mayer - France - Jour2Fête
Ira von Gienanth - Germany - Prokino
Anastasia Plazzotta - Italy - Wanted Cinema
Huub Roelvink - Netherlands - Cherry Pickers Film Distribution
Marek Bień - Poland - Gutek Film
Stefan Bradea - Romania - Bad Unicorn
Eduardo Escudero - Spain - A Contracorriente Films
Claudia Badoer - Switzerland - Filmcoopi Zurich
Kim Foss and Eduardo Escudero will act as co-presidents of the new board.
Co-President, Eduardo Escudero, spoke of the unity present in the board, referencing “the shared goal of the entire ED board, which I have now the honour to act as co-president of, is to continue, with the extraordinary dedication of Christine Eloy, to represent the independent film distributors in their diversity no matter their size. Not only working to protect an echo system that provides better opportunities for European films but also inviting our members to explore the possibilities technology provide us with to reach our audience in different ways.”
Returning co-president Kim Foss echoed this desire to continue ED’s work, stating he was “honoured to be selected for a second term as co-president of ED. Continuity is a great thing, and we still haven’t crossed the finishing line. The full recognition of our vital contribution to the value chain – also from the various support systems – has never been a given, and as it looks now, we have plenty of work ahead of us. To stay culturally relevant across the continent we need all support possible, economically and morally. We also need support from politicians, who in some quarters have restarted the debate around a possible abolition of geoblocking, which would not only pose a serious threat to distributors, but also the whole ecosystem, including filmmakers, producers, sellers: the lot!”
Europa Distribution looks forward to working with the board and embracing the diversity of their experiences and realities to continue to assist international distributors and publishers in anyway possible. Co-presidents Kim Foss and Eduardo Escudero will both bring their wealth of experience to their roles as co-presidents and help to shape the work of Europa Distribution over the next three years. Undoubtedly, a myriad of new challenges and circumstances await the new board and we look forward to witnessing their work from 2023-2026.
